Giantslayer: Mad Dog or Mammoth Rider?

[Scryangi]

Good day everyone.

((*Edit* I have no idea how to make links on this forum.))

I am going to DM the Giantslayer campaign for a friend, meaning there are only going to be two players. He is a Battlesmith, which is a Fighter that trades his bonus feats for unique equipment and crafting abilities, while I would like a Barbarian.
( https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Battlesmith_(3.5e_Class) )

What do you think would be best? Mad Dog Barbarian, or Mounted Fury Mammoth Rider? With Urban Barbarian I could UMD wands even when raging. An int of 3 would give my animal the ability to take all feats it is physically capable of performing such as teamwork feats. I allow myself to use wands of Minor Vigor despite that being 3.5, and trade one trait for Trap Finder.

Mad Dog build guide: http://www.optibuilds.com/optimized-pathfinder-barbarian-build-mad-dog/mad- dog-barbarian-guide/

Feats / Traits / Mad Dog Class Abilities / Rage Power Progression: 0) Traits: Dangerously Curious, Trap Finder ; 1) War Beast (Roc) (MDA), Power Attack, Eye For Talent (+2 Con for Roc); 2) Pack Tactics (MDA), 3) Precise Strike; 4) Rage (MDA), Superstitious; 5) Ferocious Fetch (MDA), Combat Reflexes; 7) Broken Wings Gambit; 8) Witch Hunter; 9) Extra Rage Power (Ferocious Beast); 10) DR 1/-; 11) Greater Ferocious Beast; 12) Extra Rage Power (Ghost Rager); 13) Improved Share Spell, DR 2/-; 14) Throat Cutter; 15) Dazing Assault; 16) DR 3/-, Come and Get Me;

Note: MDA means Mad Dog Abilities

Mammoth Rider 1-11:
Use Boon Companion (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/boon-companion) to enter Mammoth Rider at lv 7, and then go back to Barbarian. Take Lesser Beast Totem, Beast Totem, Greater Beast Totem, Ferocious Mount, Greater Ferocious Mount to unlock pouncing mammoth at level 11. Then either finish Mammoth Rider or take 9 more levels of Barbarian.

Thread about Mammoth Rider optimalization: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ovli&page=1?Path-to-Mammoth-Rider

[RumpinRufus]

Sadly, even in Giantslayer the age-old problem with having large mounts is still going to vex you. I think Mammoth Rider is going to be really hard to pull off. And, how are you getting around the skill rank pre-reqs for Mammoth Rider? You'd usually have to be level 9 to have the required ranks.

[Scryangi]

RumpinRufus wrote:

Sadly, even in Giantslayer the age-old problem with having large mounts is still going to vex you. I think Mammoth Rider is going to be really hard to pull off. And, how are you getting around the skill rank pre-reqs for Mammoth Rider? You'd usually have to be level 9 to have the required ranks.

By getting a +3 to Ride and Handle Animal from it being a class skill?

Awww, I had hoped that being around giants would mean there was room for a giant mount.

[PossibleCabbage]

Scryangi wrote:

By getting a +3 to Ride and Handle Animal from it being a class skill?

RAW, that doesn't work. Prestige classes ask for a certain number of ranks in skills (9 in this case), Class skills give a +3 bonus to skill checks if you have at least one rank.